


King Sized Space

by Goldielochs



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 05:35:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19244872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldielochs/pseuds/Goldielochs
Summary: It's time for the annual above ground inspection. But Persephone is more worried about keeping her desires under covers.





	King Sized Space

On tip-toes, Persephone slinked her way down the cold dark hardwood floors. She gripped the fabric tighter around her and let the long edges drag behind her ankles, a quiet swooshing as she made her way down the hallway. Everything around her was dark but she wasn’t afraid. She could see her breath in front of her but she wasn’t cold. She was drawn towards the room at the end like a moth to a flame. Something inside of her, like a current, propelled her towards it. She turned the handle, and suddenly found herself inside. She blinked. The world changed. The fabric that had been wrapped around her, she now curled under. Arching her back on top of the pillowtop mattress, she stretched her arms up. A warm hand found hers. She peered from the comforter into shining red eyes behind thick rimmed glasses.  
“Kore.” He whispered with a certain smile that stirred something inside her. His voice resonated everywhere. Coming from every direction. She sighed and dragged her hand slowly down and across his arms, tracing the veins, the pale scars, and the hardened muscles until her fingertips brushed the tops of his shoulders. He hummed at her touched, and pulled her closer to him. The rumble in his voice, she could feel on her skin. “Kore.” He purred, holding her waist and lifting her up and over until she straddled him. Her legs splayed out on either side, her hands steadied herself on his chest.  
Content, she grinned and lowered her face till she just barely grazed his jaw with her nose. “Sixty percent.” She whispered into his neck.  
“Sixty percent scoundrel?” Hades raised his eyebrows. “I think I can get that number higher.” He leaned up, fingers raking through her hair then down her back, pressing her further onto him. Persephone closed her eyes as the world spun. Her existence wrapped up into the heat on her skin, his breath at her ear. Under the covers, everything seemed so isolated. The whole world, wrapped under those sheets, just the two of them. Hades everywhere. Then the world under the covers became disjointed segments of passions. One overlapping the other.  
A gentle caress on her thigh. A heavy handed push on her back, bending her over. A hard cock dragging through her buttcheek. She leaned against the pressure. Hands on her chest. Hades between her legs. Hades hovering over her. Then behind her. Everywhere. Hades, everywhere. Persephone planted kisses on his chest, biting at his nipple. He growled in pleasure. The picture kept changing, but Persephone’s desire only increased, never satisfied. She whimpered. Everything blurred together. At one point Persephone swore he had large fuzzy wings stretching out from his back. She couldn't focus. She couldn’t get close enough. The more she gripped, pulled, and dragged him, the less she could feel.  
“Hades?” She questioned, so quietly, she wasn’t sure she said it out loud.  
“I’m here.” He assured her. His voice, rumbling through her, but she couldn’t find him in the bed next to her.  
“Don’t go.” She pleaded.  
“I won’t.” He promised, somewhere in the dark. It wasn’t a voice anymore. Rattling. Shaking.  
“Hades.” Confused, Persephone reached for him. “Hades.” She whimpered more desperately. 

 

“Hades!” She sat up suddenly. Sunlight streaming through the window. Her quilt and bed-sheets twisted down near her ankles. She took a deep breath. And then another. Before settling back down into her pillow. A dream. She wiped her hand on her forehead. At least she wasn’t in the greenhouse anymore. She curled up into a ball. At least, she knew what this dream was about. She opened her eyes again, painfully aware of the empty space beside her and sighed.  
Maybe she did prefer the nightmares.  
Her alarm rang then and she rolled over to turn it off.  
“A dream.” She sighed to herself as she got up and started getting ready for work. “At least he’ll be gone for a few days. Maybe I can shake this crush out of my system.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hecate appeared in Hade’s office. He hadn’t arrived yet but knew the coffee would already be ready for him. It was always better than the stuff in the breakroom. She pulled out her tumbler and set in on the counter to pick up the carafe. She raised it too high, expecting it to be heavier.  
“Huh?” She tilted her head. The coffee machine was cold, off, and annoyingly lacking fresh coffee. Rolling her eyes, she waved her hand in front of the carafe and inexplicably it filled with black liquid. She dipped her finger into it. “Can never get the temperature right.” She shrugged. “Iced coffee it is.”  
Hades opened the glass door, tugging a small duffle bag on his shoulder. “Stealing my coffee again?” He raised his eyebrows. The dark circles under his eyes seemed to be darker than usual.  
“Not this time. Had to brew this energy potion up myself.” She took a swig and coughed. “It, well, it packs a punch.” She poured a mug for Hades and pushed it towards him.  
He eyed it, unconvinced, and then swiveled out to his private lobby. “Huh.” He clicked his teeth. Setting down the duffle bag, he then checked his watch. “Minthe?” He walked back out to fully interpret the empty desk. He read the last text from Minthe again from last night.  
“All packed. See you tomorrow.”  
He heard a loud sneeze and looked up in time to see Minthe rounding the corner from the side hallway leading to the bathrooms. A large tissue stuffed to her face. Her mouth hung open and her eyes seemed dimmer and more dead than usual. “Oh hey.” She said in a scratchy voice. “I’m sorry, I haven’t quite finished out the--.”  
Hades crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You’re sick.”  
“It’s just allergies.” Minthe’s ears pointed down.  
“You’re sick.”  
“No. No. I’m fine.” Minthe waved his accusations away. “I can’t be sick. We’re inspecting the--” She sneezed. “I’ve been planning for weeks for this--” She coughed. “I have all the plans for our business trip.” She coughed again. “I’m fine. It’s just. . . dog hair.” She shrugged and Hade’s eyes glinted.  
“You’re blaming this on. . . my dogs?”  
“No. No. No.” Minthe shook her head and she had to lean against the wall, overcome with a dizzy spell. “I can’t. . .think straight.”  
“Because you’re sick.” Keeping a distance, Hades pulled her chair around for her to sit. Not wanting to catch her illness, but also not wanting to be an ass, he wasn’t sure how to treat her in this moment, especially after all the nastiness that occured during their break up. “You need rest. Go home.” He tried to hide a slight bit of relief. After their break up, Minthe promised to be professional, to keep her job, and she had done an excellent job, but this trip, he’d been dreading anway.  
“But we’re supposed to go to the mortal realm today.” She said through sniffles. “It’s really really important.”  
“You’re not going like this.” Hades sighed.  
“I’m fine. I’ll get better. It’s just a, a, cold.” She shrugged, unconvincingly. “I’ve already booked everything. The itinerary is set. The procedure--”  
Hecate came over and felt her forehead. “Yikes. You’re not going anywhere but back to bed. Hades’ right. If you went like this, you could bring about a whole new set of epidemics to the mortals. Mortals shouldn’t be exposed to our illnesses. It would be downright irresponsible.”  
Hades frowned. “It’s alright. You rest, I’ll go.” He decided.  
“You should postpone.” Minthe slumped back into the chair. “You can’t go by yourself. You know that.”  
The elevator door dinged and then opened. Hades looked up. Persephone walked in. And an idea formed.  
“No.” Minthe hissed weakly.  
“Persephone.” Hades bounced forward. “What are your plans for the next two days?”  
Minthe and Hecate both groaned internally.  
“I have a very exciting opportunity that just opened up.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Persephone creeped quietly back into her house. Artemis’s bedroom door was closed. The black out curtains covered all the windows. She could hear her roommate snoring on the other side of the wall.  
She opened up the bathroom door and grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste. And an extra unused one she kept handy, just in case. She swung her old robe from the hanger and shoved it into her tote. Last time she wore it, she was getting ready for the party. The party where everything went wrong.  
She looked at herself in the mirror and pointed a finger at herself. “Professional. Business. Work-related. Excursion.” She gave herself the side eye. “You’re going to check on some volcanoes. Inspect any damage. Take notes. Help pinpoint weak spots and danger zones and you are not going to think about any funny business.” Her reflection nodded weakly. “Got it? No funny business. Only . . . business-business.” She finished lamely and curled her pointing finger through her hair. She fixed the collar of her jacket and headed for the door. She turned back to her mirror and pointed her finger once more. “Watch it.” She warned herself.  
With a dark rumbling roar, Hades started the engine again as she exited the house. Momentarily mesmerized with her quick steps down from the porch. Focus Hades. He checked himself in the rearview mirror. Business trip. You’re her boss. This is just a professional . . . His hands patted the steering wheel anxiously as she threw her tote into the back seat and then climbed into the passenger side. . . . professional excursion. . .  
She buckled up, then folded her hands into her lap, a little embarrassed that in the back seat there were free floating underwear in an open tote. She didn’t have enough time to properly pack anything. “So.” She looked up at Hades. “Road trip.” She grinned. “Got any good playlists?”  
“Mortal hits? To get us in the mood? The. . .the mortal realm, mood. I mean.”  
“Yeah DJ Hades, bump it.” Persephone nodded. “Er, I mean, yeah that sounds great, boss.”  
Hades laughed and turned the volume up. Smoothly, he backed out of their driveway and then towards their destination. Persephone rolled down her window and belted out to a power ballad. The wind whipped her hair dramatically and Hades had to concentrate so as not to run off the road. He lowered the music to her chagrin. “So, I know you probably used the main channel to travel to Olympus.” He said over the music. “I like to go another way. Do you mind?” His eyes turned wicked in the rear view mirror, but Persephone didn’t catch it.  
“Sure!” She agreed cheerily. Then her eyes squinted. “Wait. Should I?”  
“Hold on.” Hades warned, and threw the car into gear. The wheels screamed. Smoke rose from the tires. They weren’t moving. Then Hades let off the brake and they jolted forward.  
“Uh Hades.” Persephone gripped his arm and the handle above her door. Her eyes widened. A mountain in the distance was getting bigger. And bigger. “Uuuuh. Hades.” She pointed nervously towards the rapidly moving in mountain. The trees whizzed past. The ground began to shake. The mountain turned into an ever reaching wall that Persephone could not see around. “I should have drove.” She whimpered, gripping onto the handle even tighter.  
“This is a secret entrance, okay?” Hades had to yell over the roar of the car. “Only my brothers and I know about it. So don’t tell anyone.”  
“I won’t be able to.” Persephone braced herself. “I’ll be dead.”  
“Ha!” Hades laughed. Persephone looked over for a second, seeing something she had never seen in Hades before. Reckless boyish abandoned.  
“100%” Persephone scrunched her face up as the walls closed in. Darkness closing in. One more second and . . .  
Complete black.  
Persephone looked through her fingers. “Woah.” She blinked and leaned forward. “Is that?” She peered up seeing long towers protruding from the tall ceiling. Blinking neon lights as stalactites. So familiar, yet, this looked so wrong. Rivers. . . on the ceiling. Water flowing, but gravity pulling it upwards. No. No. Persephone realized. They were simply upside down.  
“Oh.” Persephone put her hands to her mouth. “We’re. . .” She paused staring up at the Underworld. “How?”  
Hades grinned down at her. “Sorry for the scare. You can only experience it for the first time once. I didn’t want to spoil it.” He shrugged. “You can punish me later.” He said then blinked, not sure if that came out right.  
Hades changed gears again and slowed down, he turned the car, heading straight for black darkness, away from the city lights up above. She couldn’t even see her own lap. Everything had gone dark.. Without the light, without second guessing and self consciousness, something in the air felt different. Persephone’s hand found his on the stick, then traveled up his arm to his shoulder. His breath was shallow. A shiver ran down her spine and an electric vibe seemed to pass through her, not sure if it originated inside her self or transferred energy from Hades. Desperation grew in the black. She couldn’t get close enough. Her seat belt kept her from cuddling into his side. Her hand was all she had to make sure Hades was there. An ambassador for things she couldn’t have.  
“Hades?” She whispered, worried she wouldn’t be able to find even her voice.  
A glowing red eye opened in her direction. A gloved hand at her cheek. “We’re almost there.” He said in a low voice, then cleared his throat.  
She had forgotten there was a destination. Shaking her head, she took a steadying breath. Now both of Hades red eyes viewed her from the darkness.  
She suddenly remembered her dream a few weeks ago. “May I come in?” She withdrew her hand and folded it in her lap, clearing her throat too. Right. Business trip.  
Hades felt the warmth of her hand withdraw. In its place seemed to burn with a coldness of its absence. He pursed his lips trying to shake that electric pull to touch her, to run his fingers through her hair, down her back, around her waist, up her chest, holding her. He tried to shake the thought of thumbing the hem of her dress, sliding his long fingers up her thigh. He tried to shake the wandering thought of burying his face into her breasts, smothering himself, warm up his cold nose in the depths of her cleavage. That electric pull made his hands twitch towards her. He clamped it tighter on the stick, and shifted gears. “Almost there.” He muttered again under his breath, more to himself this time.  
She could feel the car speeding up, but the blackness outside remained the same.  
“You might want to take a deep breath.” Hades suggested, while he leaned back and grabbed Persephone’s tote bag and placed it in her lap, then reached for his duffel and strapped it on himself, taking off his seat belt. “You won’t need your seat belt anymore.” He shifted gears again. “This is the weird part.” Persephone leaned forward, touching the dashboard and drew in a great big breath. Hades whispered a quiet word. A spark of magic illuminated in the darkness.  
The next second, sunlight blinded them. The wind whipped through her hair. Her hand gripped the edge of a chariot. Grunting and clip clops of four black horses replaced the roar of the engine. They were tearing down dirt path at high speed, the four black horses of Hades charging forward relentlessly, pulling the dark stained chariot forward. Regally, Hades stood with his hands on the reign. A long black robe flapped in the wind, draped carefully across his torso so that one side of his chest was exposed. A dark commanding King. She shivered and noticed she too was draped in her mortal realm robe.  
She threw her head back and took a big ole sniff. Dirt, grass, smoke, something sweet. She sighed. The smells of home. Hades looked down at her over his nose and smiled sadly. He should have taken her here a while ago. Her shoulders relaxed and she widened her stance on the chariot to hold herself upright. There was something about this entrance to the mortal realm with her by his side, that he just couldn’t get enough of.  
“Home sweet home.” She sighed and leaned her head on Hades bicep. She wrapped her arm around his, while he still held the reigns. He gulped, staring down at the crown of her head. Inhaling, he closed his eyes. When he opened them back up, his lips were on top of her head, planting a nearly involuntary kiss. He straightened back up immediately.  
Persephone raised her eyebrow and looked up at him. “Did you just. . .”  
“You. . . had something in your hair.” He covered.  
“Oh.” Persephone bit her lip. “For a second I thought you. . .” She shook her head, washing the thought away. She pulled out the itinerary in the trunk. It now was a tablet. An actual stone tablet.  
“So, we’re scheduled to tour the Methana site today, stop for lunch in Crete, then hit Milos, since those should be quick stops according to last years reports. We’re stopping for the night for the reservation placed at Thera. So we’ll be ready to go on Santorini island the next morning and finish off with Nisyros.” She dipped the tablet below eye level, eyeing the horses pulling the chariot. “Can I ask something?”  
Hades raised an eyebrow. “Your questions are always dangerous. You can ask, but you may not get a response.”  
“It’s work related.”  
“Go ahead.”  
“So. . . the volcanos?”  
“Yes?”  
“Um. Why do you inspect them? Why are they part of . . . Hades’ duties?”  
Hades sighed. “That’s actually a very personal question.” His grip tightened on the reigns. “But, you’re here to help me inspect them so I should tell you. Volcanos erupt after years and years of built up frustration, anger, unmet desires, rage, fear, etcetera etcetera.” He shrugged. “I’m. . . working on it. Since seeing a therapist it’s helped. . but, to be honest, I haven’t gone in some time. At least, unlike my brothers, I try to control it, but then it sits in these pockets until the underworld can’t contain it anymore. It can be much more disastrous than when my brothers lose control.” He shrugged. “But they lose it all the time. Storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, tsunamis.” He shook his head. “It’s like they’re not even trying. They don’t care about the consequences, usually.”  
“So. . . this is kind of a mental check in.”  
“No.” Hades said. “Well.” He hesitated. “Maybe.” He looked down at her, nearly hearing her think through it. “Thank you for coming. It’s. . . it’s easier if I have someone with me.”  
“Of course!” Persephone smiled up at him, releasing her lip from her bite. “I’m glad I can help.”  
After a few more minutes, they pulled up to the base of the volcano on Methana island. “We’ll have to go on foot from here.”  
Childlike laughter echoed through the greenery. Chattering voices of women layered on top. Persephone nearly skipped towards them, but Hades grabbed her hand softly. A sad look in his eye. “We’ll have to go unseen.” Hades eyed Persephone’s longing gaze towards the warm voices of mortals. She nodded, understanding.  
“Of course. I didn’t expect to travel with the unseen one with bells and whistles.” She jabbed. Secretly, she felt proud. She never felt important enough to hide her appearance before. Now she was in the big leagues.  
Getting to work, Persephone took samples of the ground at the base, at the midway point, and at the top. “Dormant.” Hades nodded, relieved. He walked into the crater-esque top of the volcano, Persephone following behind him. They took some more measurements. “I’ll also need to get a rough population estimate.”  
“On it.” Persephone pulled a blank scroll and ink pen out. She tapped her foot on the ground and then sat on her legs in meditation. She jotted down some numbers. “Should be fairly accurate.” She licked the pen on her tongue.  
“How did you?”  
“Well, I can feel the young ones, so.” She shrugged. “Taking into account the birth rate ratios and average family size, I did a quick calculation to extrapolate the rest of the data. Easy peasy.”  
“Oh.” Hades blinked. “That’s. . . very impressive.”  
Persephone laughed. “If you’re a potato.”  
Proudly, Hades grinned.  
The rest of the day past much the same, with a small break in the middle to eat a lunch of eggs and humus. The other two islands checked out well enough. Persephone seemed fascinated by the magic in the soil, active or not. The writings in Persephone’s scroll grew so much in depth, she’d have to use a new one soon.  
The ferry took them to their last island. Tired from a full day of hiking, the four dark horses of Hades clopped slowly into the stables of the inn on their last island that they would tour tomorrow. Persephone helped Hades take off their harnesses. She hugged their huge necks and whispered compliments into their ears. They twitched back with delight and nuzzled into her embrace. Quietly, Hades grabbed the trunk and headed inside to procure their rooms while Persephone continued to tend to the horses. “I know you’re just a car engine back in the underworld, but you’re real now.” She brushed their mane, then peered inside the window of the lobby.  
A mortal, with dark thick hair, waited in line, wearing the robes she’d seen Hades wear all day. He turned and winked at her. Brown eyes, flashing red for a second.  
She laughed and in turn, changed her appearance, dropping the invisibility. Blonde hair, green eyes, and freckled pale skin, she marched into the inn and stood next to the mortal holding their trunk. “Oh, hello good sir.” She spoke in ancient greek.  
“Madame.” He nodded, a sly grin rising on his cheek. “Fancy meeting you here.”  
“It is such a wonderful coincidence.” She played along eagerly.  
“Next.” The shopkeeper called. Hades and Persephone stepped forward. “Welcome to Thera Inn. Home of the largest volcano on the greek isles.” He muttered robotically.  
“We have a reservation.” Hades stepped forward. His human body, just as tall as his usual self, staggered over the counter. The shopkeeper blinked up at him.  
“N-name?”  
“Shade.”  
“Ah! Of course. I remember you from last year.” The shopkeeper turned to Persephone, then back to Hades. He said nothing more before grabbing the keys behind him. “Right this way. The Bath houses are around back.” He pointed towards the back door.  
Persephone stood motionless, then she clicked her heels. Hades turned to see her hesitate. He blinked. “Oh. Sir, we were wondering. Well. If we could add another room?”  
The shop keep squinted and then, “Sorry. All booked up.”  
“Surely, you have another room available.” Hades extended a tan hand out towards him, light blue scars, still shone out of his mortal skin, no amount of magic could cover them. In his palm rested a single ruby.  
The shop keep laughed. “I wouldn’t give you my boots for that counterfeit shit. Now go on. You already have the nicest room. Even if I did have another one available, you wouldn’t want it.”  
Persephone grabbed on to Hades arms, feeling a bit of wrath start to boil up inside from being treated like a petty commoner. “Come on, Shade. We’ll make it work.”  
Persephone jiggled the key into the door at the top floor. Hades behind her, carried the trunk up.  
“Oh.” Persephone squeaked, eying the king sized bed in the middle of the room. She hurried inside and held the door for Hades. He set the trunk at the foot of the bed and he too, hesitantly looked at it and then up at Persephone. “Take the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”  
“Don’t be silly.” Persephone closed the door and locked it. “You’re. . . you’re the king. I’ll fit much better on this couch anyway.” She laid down, curling up on the couch next to the window, to prove her point.  
Hades stalked towards her. “No, no. You sleep on the bed. I insist. As your boss, the king of the underworld, and . . . as your friend.” He knelt beside her.  
“But--”  
“No buts.” Hades shook his head. “Don’t make me, make you.” He raised his eyebrow. “I’m not sure how much higher my scoundrel number can get, but I’d like to keep it low, please.”  
Persephone groaned and rolled off the couch. “Okay, fine. But if you change your mind, let me know. I really don’t mind.” She stood up and combed through her blonde human hair and wiped away a thin layer of dirt on her face, kicked up from the chariot ride. “I’m going to down to the baths. Do you think I could just go. . . without all this.” She gestured at her mortal appearance.  
Hades gulped. “S-su-sure.” Hades tried to shrug nonchalantly. He’d never been attracted to any mortal, but the one in front of him, he wouldn’t mind keeping around. “ As long as, no one tries to sit on you accidently. You know I’m honestly not sure what would happen if a mortal--” Hades bit his lip, imagining what it would be like to find himself sitting on a naked invisible Persephone. He shook his head, inhaling sharply. “No matter.” He watched Persephone unravel the mortal guise from herself, pale skin into glowing pink, and he too started to feel scratchy in this muddy skin.  
“Actually. I’ll go with you. A hot bath sounds good.”  
They tip toed back down to the lobby, hugging the wall as more people came up the stairs. “They can’t hear us.” Hades grinned as Persephone tried to hold her breath. He stuck out his tongue and Persephone broke out in laughter. As more came up the stairs, they made funny faces at each other until the coast was clear and they could continue their path to the baths. Slyly, Hades grabbed two towels from the rack and tossed one to Persephone. He saluted her, then marched towards the men’s bath and she in turn, stepped into the women’s.  
Persephone took a deep breath of the steaming air. She dropped her robe to the floor and slipped into the water. In the foggy steam, she could only see shapes of others in the bath. It was mostly empty. She dipped further into the water and imagined a large shadow on the other side of the pool. Imagined Hades sitting opposite her. Naked. Wet. Steamy. And always out of reach.  
They emerged from the Baths at nearly the same time. Persephone soaked a moment longer in the sulphur pools. She had always liked the smell. She watched Hades leave first, a towel wrapped around his waist as he made his own way back towards their room. She bit her lip, keeping her thoughts in check, giving him enough time to. . . dress. Though she allowed her enough of a glance to watch his long legs drip up the stairs. “Butt.” She whispered alone to herself.  
Then she followed after. As Persephone entered back into the room, Hades was setting up his makeshift bed on the couch. All warm and rosy, wrapped up in a fresh towel, she greeted Hades. Hades nearly fell over.  
She picked up a bundle of clothes from her tote and then looked up at Hades. She swirled her finger in the air, commanding him to turn around. He obliged. Staring wide opened out the window with his hands clasped together nervously in front of him, pretending that there wasn’t a reflection. He gulped as he heard her towel drop to the floor. She tapped his shoulder and he turned back to see Persephone wearing a simple long gown. “You look--”  
“Ready for bed?” She finished.  
“Um. Yeah.” Hades slumped into the couch, grasping his wet hair. This was going to be a long night.  
Persephone jumped into the bed and folded herself under the covers. She spread her arms and legs out and made crease angels into the bedsheets. So much room. She shivered, waiting for the sheets to trap her warmth back to her. Her wet hair, tangled down the side of the pillow.  
“Goodnight.” Hades said from the couch.  
“Goodnight.” Persephone sighed and rolled over. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the King of the Dead laying across the couch nearby. Tried not to think about where his scars led on his torso. Tried not to think about his body sitting in the bathhouse, steam rising. Tried, but she wasn’t getting very far.  
Hades knew better than to stretch his limbs out. Instead he looped his legs over the arm of the couch and laid on his back staring up at the ceiling. He heard a soft sigh come from the bed, and tried not to think of her warm skin beneath the sheets. Just one night. And then they’d go home tomorrow and he wouldn't have to torment himself like this again. What was he thinking? Of course, Minthe reserved the honeymoon suite for them. Of course, there’d only be one bed. Why on earth, didn’t someone stop him?  
He rolled over uncomfortably on his side and tried to curl his legs in. Sometimes being King had its disadvantages. No one wants to tell you no, when they’re too busy trying to kiss your ass.  
However, he wouldn’t take it back. He’d enjoyed every single second of their time so far. It felt more like a vacation than work. She was so interested in everything and genuinely helpful, always peppering in the long silences with fascinating tales and questions. He didn’t like talking much, but he loved talking with Persephone.  
He rolled over again to his other side, still not quite finding his spot. As long as Persephone was comfortable, he could manage. He could sit upright in a pile of hay, if it meant Persephone could sleep soundly.  
He tried his stomach, twisting into a fetal position, but the smell of the dyed fabric began to give him a migraine. He twisted back on his back and stared up at the roofing. He would count the planks until he would have to count them again. He tried anything and everything to get his mind off the thing poking him in the leg from the arm of the chair. Or how far away his feet were from the edge of the blanket.  
It was after his fourth set of counting the ceiling planks, when Persephone sat up and folded her blanket around her arms in her lap. “Hades?” She whispered quietly. “Are. . . are you awake?”  
He sighed. “Yes.”  
She shifted towards one end of the bed and pulled the covers down. “You’ll sleep better.” She patted it, an invitation. “This bed is big enough. I don’t take up much space.” She rolled over to the other side.  
“Why do I get the feeling you actually do?” Hades sat up, waiting for a response. When none came, “Are you making a face?”  
“No.” Persephone answered, obviously still making the face. “Just. . . I’ll sleep better without you tossing and turning.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t apologize. Just. . .come here.” She slapped her hand on the pillow. “Before I get angry.”  
“Alright. Alright.” Hades walked carefully to the opposite side of the bed. “I’ll stay on my side. I promise, I won’t--”  
Persephone yawned. “Yeah, yeah. You won’t try nothing. I get it.” She peeked over her shoulder to see Hades dip under the covers, his body still barely coming off the edge of the bed. She too toed the end of her side. They both stared up at their piece of the ceiling, clutching the bed sheet up to their necks.  
“Goodnight, Persephone.” Hades murmured.  
“Goodnight, Hades.”  
They each rolled onto their side, facing away from each other. Persephone bit her lip. That same electric current she felt in the car began pulling on her again. The darkness, so inviting. The sheets so comforting. Hades so close. She shut her eyes, squinting them down, hoping to squash out the restless energy worming down her legs, up to her abdomen.  
Hades felt her breathing, interrupting the smooth linen beneath them, and he stopped a moan escaping from his lips. This was much worse than the couch. Another mistake.  
Eventually after several awkward minutes, they buried in silence, Persephone drifted closer to sleep. She was transported back down that dark hallway. The cold hard wood floors. The fabric, she knew, a comforter wrapped around her body. The door at the end of the hallway opened. A red neon light blinked, warning her not to go inside. But she couldn’t stop even if she wanted to. She dropped the comforter around her to the floor, exposing herself, but she didn’t feel ashamed. Instead of cold, she felt warm. Hot even. Suddenly she was laying on top of the comforter. Her limbs splayed out, wide. She imagined herself like the web of a spider, ready to catch the first thing to vibrate into her web. 

The moth she wanted to catch wasn’t there. “Hades?” She murmured.  
The rumbling of a car engine seemed to fill her chest, or was it the sound of the horses breathing.  
Panic started. Where was he? He promised. He promised to stay. The warmth that enveloped her, vanished. With it, the rumbling inside of her. Everything was quiet. Cold chills latched onto her ankles and wrist. She felt. . . alone.  
Persephone’s eyes shot open. Alone in the dark. Wait. No. Not alone. She rolled over towards the king sized space between them. Hades slow chest expanded with his steady breath. Persephone sighed in relief. Slowly, she inched her way across the space between them, closing the gap.  
No amount of will power could stop her now. Gradually, but with a sense of finality, she crawled to the other side of the bed, like a glacier, slow but sure. She couldn’t be stopped. Not even when Hades rolled over, his eyes catching hers. She couldn’t stop, not even when he asked if she was okay in a voice so soft, it might have been the wind. She couldn’t stop, when his hand cradled her face. She couldn’t stop, not until her lips found his. As gentle as a butterfly landing on a leaf. Her full pink lips wrapped around his, conforming to his shape. He gasped into her. “Kore.”  
She hummed. He sat up and pulled her face away, keeping her head in the palms of his hands. “Kore.” He murmured, his forehead leaning against hers. So many things he wanted to say. So many questions he wanted to ask. In the moment, all he could say was her name. “Kore.” Over and over again.  
Persephone pulled her gown up and over herself. No more barriers between them. No worries. Just them. Alone together on a king sized space.  
She lightly tugged on his lip with her teeth. Her hands wrangled into his hair, pulling on him. Taking her que he began twisting over her. His hands planted on either side of her head as she settled into the middle of the bed and he swung over. Blinking, he looked into Persephone’s eyes. “Am I dreaming?” He finally asked.  
“I don’t think so. Would this be a good dream?” Persephone breathed, her hands dragged down from his hair to his chest. Tracing over the curves of his muscles.  
“If it is a dream, I hope I never wake up.” He kissed her forehead.  
“Just don’t disappear in the morning.”  
“Never.” He kissed her deeply, then his lips scaled down her chin to her neck. He squeezed his arms around her, pulling her up into him. She moaned. He continued traveling down, taking as much of her right breast into his mouth as he could, letting it fall away slowly till just her nipple was trapped between his lips. With the other breast he grabbed it, rubbing his palm across her.  
Persephone wasn’t sure what to do with her hands, so she just touched every part of him she could. His shoulders, his neck, the top of his back. His hair. Every inch of his hair, acting on every whim, then coming down the back to his shoulder blades.  
He looked up through long lashes at her, watching her reaction as still he traveled down, planting kissed over her stomach. In anticipation, she spread her legs out on either side of him, inviting him. She gasped as his tongue found her. Warmth she’d never experience battled for attention. He buried his face into her, and dragged Persephone into sensations like another world. Deftly, he pulled her hips up, angling her better. Closer. Always needing to be closer. He came up for air, grinning at the slack jawed expression of Persephone sinking into the pillow. His fingers filled the void as he lapped up her left breast.  
Persephone’s constant inhales and pantings, moans and murmurs guided him to the moment she gasped and a jolt ricocheted through her. Their eyes met. Persephone panting, Hades breathing heavily, she pushed herself up on her arms. Hades leaned back onto his knees and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, tasting herself still on his lips. Then her hands pushed on his chest and she moved her hips out of the way, till he was laying on his back. She crawled slowly on top of him. Her thighs straddled him. She could feel his erection twitching with anticipation on her skin. She lifted herself briefly, taking a moment to see Hades spread out before her. Thinking of her dream, she grinned. How similar this was. Only this was real. This time, when she reached for him, he reached back. She could feel him. Real. Now. Everywhere. Almost everywhere.  
She grabbed him, guiding him to her entrance. Hades reached for her chin, reassuringly. Then she pushed back into him and watched his eyes roll back. Like an ocean she pushed and pulled him into her. She moaned, overwhelmed with his girth. He rubbed her thighs in rhythm. The headboard knocked against the wall, but neither of them cared or slowed down. She moved on him like she was balancing a hula hoop on her hips. Hades grunted, his grip tighter on her thighs. Fingerprints embedded there.  
Then he lifted his knees, raising his hips, holding her in place with a firm grip on her ass. She leaned down to his chest and sucked his neck while he pushed into her, so slowly, filling her up. Heat traveled between them. She clawed her fingers into his hair now. Her moans veering on whispered screams. He wrapped his arms around her waist, knocking her into his thrusts.  
“Kore.” He breathed. Big eyes, looking up with nothing but affection.She rested her head on his chest, while she worked her lower half into overtime.  
Eyelids heavy with pleasure. “Kore.” He muttered, more urgently. Hot lava boiled inside of him, until he couldn’t hold it anymore. “Ah.” He gushed into her. Thrusting a few more times until he couldn’t take it anymore. “Kore.” He blinked. “Oh, Kore.” He murmured completely breathless and relaxed back into the bed.  
With a shaking hand, she placed her palm on his cheek. “You’re wonderful.”  
He hugged her into his chest. Cradling her into him. Her body so soft and comforting. This had to be too good to be true. Then the heat of their bodies was too much to take and she slipped off the side. They gazed up at the ceiling. Breathless. Hot. Heaving. And blissfully happy. A rumbling roar seemed to echo inside their chest cavity. Ricochets of pleasure and orgasms, lingering inside of them. Then their bed began to shake. The floorboards too.  
Birds cried in the night. Dogs started barking outside. An uneasy stillness permeated the air. Something was terribly wrong.  
Hades and Persephone sat up suddenly, clutching the bedsheet to their chest. Hades moved first, jolting out of bed to peer out the window. His eyes finding the volcano of Thera in the distance.  
“Shit.” He slapped his face.  
“What?” Persephone joined his side, wrapped in the bedsheet.  
“Hades erupted from below.” He leaned his forehead on the shaking window.  
Persephone smirked, “You’re telling me.”


End file.
